


we're both one away from normal

by lostin_space



Series: Touch Me [4]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Secrets, implied depression, powers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:00:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26358376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostin_space/pseuds/lostin_space
Summary: Michael meets Alex's mom.
Relationships: Michael Guerin/Alex Manes
Series: Touch Me [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1683790
Comments: 20
Kudos: 98





	we're both one away from normal

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not entirely happy with this but we're going with it woo
> 
> if i missed any tags, let me know
> 
> title: Norman by Joe Iconis

Michael's life had changed since he met Alex.

Not just because he now had someone of his own that he cared for, but because that someone required caring for that Michael was still learning. Alex was scared of himself and, as sweet and open as he was, woke up most days feeling horrible. Michael had learned how to sneak into his room through the tiny basement window and he did that most mornings, trying to start their day off right. How could he wake up feeling like a monster when he had someone right there to show him he wasn't? It didn't work always for reasons Michael couldn't and wouldn't understand entirely, but he tried.

Like today, where he crawled behind Alex's little blanket cocoon. He wrapped his arms around the whole mass as well as he could, burying his nose into his hair and breathing in. He smelled so good all the time.

"You know, some people might consider this breaking and entering," Alex said, his voice rough from sleep. Michael smiled and pressed a kiss behind his ear, enjoying the way it felt like a small little jolt to his system.

"Do you consider it that?" Michael asked. Alex hummed.

"Maybe," he said. Michael snorted and squeezed him until he let out a soft little laugh. "I like it."

Michael leaned over to kiss his lips and slowly made his way to lay on that side of him properly. Alex smiled into it, lifting the blanket to engulf him inside the cocoon as well. He wrapped his arms around Alex's body to tug him close. He was warm and soft and Michael would give a lot to never move. It was home.

Alex parted his lips to deepen the kiss and his socked foot dragged down Michael's jeans until they reached his shoes. It caused him to pull away and look at Michael with a confused face.

"Why did you keep your shoes on?" Alex asked.

"Got distracted by how cute you look," he teased. Honestly, he tended to forget. He wore his boots to sleep more nights than not, but that wasn't something he didn't need to share with Alex. Not yet at least.

"Take them off," Alex urged. Michael nodded, dropping a kiss to his cheek before sitting up. He quickly started pulling his shoes off, eager to get back to kissing Alex and starting the day off right.

However, in the middle of taking his second boot off, the basement door opened without so much as a knock and with Michael in perfect view.

"Alex, hon– _oh my god_ ," Alex's mom said. Michael's instinct was to be annoyed by her horrified voice at the image of Alex having a guy in his bed, but he quickly reminded himself that Alex had a pretty dangerous gift. She probably would've reacted that way no matter who was this close to him.

"Mom," Alex said, sitting up. She seemed frozen, looking between the two of them. It didn't seem to process exactly what was happening.

"Alex, get away from him, don't touch him," she instructed. Michael was back to being annoyed.

"Mom," Alex repeated, softer this time, "It's okay. I was gonna tell you."

"No, we're not risking anything, I don't care, no," she said, shaking her head, "Absolutely not."

"No, listen," Alex started. He shifted in bed and Michael saw the way she instinctively reached out even though she wasn't close enough to do anything. Michael knew she was just being cautious, not wanting her son to end up euthanized, but still. It was annoying that she didn't trust him. "It's okay. This is Michael."

“With all due respect, Ms. Manes,” Michael said, flashing the most charming smile he could come up with, “It really is okay. I have a gift that’s compatible with Alex’s. See?”

Michael reached out and put his hand over Alex’s face. His mom gasped again and moved down a couple steps, clearly not buying it. But nothing happened, Alex just swatted his hand away and glared at him all while fighting a smile. But he couldn’t fight it very well and it took over his face in the most beautiful way.

And Ms. Manes very clearly saw that.

“Okay,” she whispered, “Okay. That’s... Okay.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Alex told her, “But it’s still weird to me.”

“We’ll... We’ll talk about this,” she decided, nodding to herself almost, “I was just coming to tell you breakfast is ready, but I didn’t realize I would need enough for three.”

“Oh, no worries, I don’t--” Michael started, but she cut him off by shaking her head.

“Nonsense, I’ll just go make some more and I’ll come get you... _y’all,_ when I’m done,” she said, turning and quickly leaving them alone. Michael thought of all the times he’d been caught in someone’s bed and, somehow, this was the weirdest.

“I can’t tell what her reaction is,” Michael said honestly, looking over to Alex who’s smile had disappeared. He was just staring at the door. “Hey, smile.”

“I think she’s okay with it,” Alex said, looking over at him. He still didn’t smile. “She just needs to process. Kinda like I did.”

“But why? I mean, we’re all good. And it’s not like it affects her if you don’t go to prison or whatever,” Michael said. Alex finally gave that sweet smile and Michael wasn’t sure what earned it, but he appreciated it nonetheless.

“It’s still new. She kind of assumed I would be alone forever,” Alex explained. Michael leaned in closer.

“Well, you’re in luck, ‘cause I’m not going _anywhere.”_

Alex welcomed the kiss he gave him, his hand going to Michael’s jaw. Part of Michael wanted to just push him back into bed and kiss him for the rest of the day, but he knew his mom was probably coming back. Instead, Michael kissed him a couple more times before he broke it and put his head in the crook of Alex’s neck.

“Thank you,” Alex whispered, draping his arms around his shoulders and holding him close.

“For what?”

“Being you.”

Michael pressed a kiss to his neck and they stayed there until his mom came back. She seemed a little more prepared this time for the whole ordeal of Alex having a friend, her game face on and no more freaking out. The table was already set, with two plates on opposite sides of the table so there would be no change for Alex to accidentally touch his mom. It was something so small, but it made Michael undeniably sad.

Instead of sitting in the middle like the third plate was placed, Michael slid it beside Alex’s and sat right to the left of him. He put his foot on his and watched him smile just a little at the contact.

“So,” Ms. Manes said, clearing her throat as she looked at them, “How did you figure out that it was safe?”

“Oh, I already knew I was invincible,” Michael said, shrugging. His mother nodded slowly. “I had to talk him into it, but I knew it wouldn’t hurt me.”

“How long ago was that?” she wondered. Michael shrugged, picking up his fork and going to take a bite of the food she’d prepared. It was the first homemade meal he’d had in a while and it tasted like heaven, but he didn’t react. 

“Not long, a little over a month,” Alex answered. Ms. Manes gasped softly.

“A little over a month? Alex, that’s a long time.”

“Doesn’t feel like that long,” Alex said.

“And you two are...” she trailed off, waiting for him to fill in the blank. Alex kicked his shin gently to get his attention, looking at him like he was supposed to have the right answer. Michael raised an eyebrow

“Together,” he said simply, “Right?” Alex bit back a smile and gave a small little nod.

“Oh. Okay,” she said, “Well, then we might want to set some rules. Like, uh, doors open when he’s over and no staying the night without asking.”

“Mom,” Alex said, “C’mon. He’s the only person I’ll ever be able to touch. Do I really need rules like that?”

Michael looked over to her and she gave a little bittersweet smile. She looked between them and cleared her throat, nodding.

“You’re right. You’ve had a whole month and I didn’t notice and no one’s dead, so it’s okay. Just, you know, let me know so I know who I’m cooking for,” she decided. Alex smiled.

“Thanks.”

“So, Michael, tell me about you,” she urged. Michael licked his lips, shrugging his shoulders.

“Not much to tell. I moved here a little over a month ago from Albuquerque. Been in foster care most of my life, kinda bounce around,” he answered, deciding that’s about as specific as he was willing to get. There were some things he hadn’t really told Alex and he wasn’t about to tell him in front of his mother.

“Well, what are your plans in the future?”

“Not sure yet, go to college probably if I can,” Michael answered.

“I think I want to take online classes,” Alex chimed in. His mom seemed to perk up.

“You want to go to college?” she asked. Alex shrugged like it wasn’t that big of a deal. She clearly thought otherwise. And, with the way Michael had seen him on his bad days, he sort of understood. It made him smile.

“Well, I was thinking about it and if I get into something that’s solely on the computer, stuff like coding, I won’t have to encounter many people and I’ll still be able to do things,” Alex said. She nodded, holding back a large smile.

“Yeah, that sounds great.”

Michael found himself making small talk with Alex and his mother for a long while, eating his entire plate and whatever Alex didn’t want from his. It was a little weird, but it was also the happiest Michael had ever seen Alex outside of the first time he’d touched him and Michael wasn’t about to ruin that. So he let them talk and he chimed in when he was spoken to. If he kept a lot to himself, it was no big deal.

“Do you two have any plans or anything today?” Ms. Manes asked as she picked up the plates. 

“Probably just watch movies,” Alex said. Michael found himself eager to get back downstairs at the mention. As much as he could be a people person, he wanted to get Alex alone again. 

“Oh, okay,” she said. Alex stood up first and Michael followed.

“We’ll just be downstairs,” Alex said, heading that way. Before Michael could directly follow, Ms. Manes grabbed his arm carefully and he looked at her expectantly.

“Can I have a word with you alone?” she asked. Michael looked to where Alex was already reaching for the basement door.

“I’ll be right down, Alex, gonna get some water,” he said. Alex looked over his shoulder skeptically but nodded nonetheless.

Once he was gone, Michael gave Ms. Manes his full attention and readied himself for whatever lecture he was about to get.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to sit here and demand to hear your intentions with my son,” she said, “But I do want you to understand that this isn’t some small thing. There’s a chance you might be the only person he ever meets that isn’t effected by his gift.”

“I know,” Michael said, “I like him, though. Like, a lot. I’m not scared of being with him.”

“Yes, but you’re young. And Alex... Alex is mature in a lot of ways and immature in a lot of others, but he’s in a very isolating situation. I’ve noticed a change in him recently, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. Now I know it’s that he’s finally a little less lonely,” she explained. He could see tears in her eyes, but she held them back. All Michael felt was envy. He wanted a mother like that. He wanted a mother. “There’s a chance this isn’t forever. I’m not saying take pity on him, but I’m asking you to be aware of what you’re doing. He’s my baby and I got the ability to comfort him properly taken away from me a long time ago. So just be aware of what you’re doing.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, trying to find the right words. He settled on ones that felt good enough. “But I can promise you that he means just as much to me as I mean to him.”

“Does he?” she asked. He knew she didn’t mean it the way it sounded, but it made him want to crawl out of his skin. “Because you’re in very different positions.”

And it really sounded that way. Michael was invincible, he could have anyone. Alex was dangerous, Michael was all he could have. But Michael was lonely and had always been lonely. He didn’t have a family or a home, not really. But then there was Alex. It wasn’t the same, it would never be the same, but Alex was the first person that made him stop feeling lonely. That had to count for something.

“Maybe. But I care about him. I promise,” he insisted. She nodded.

“Okay, I’m trusting you.”

“Thank you.”

Michael made his way down to Alex’s room and immediately crawled into his bed where he was waiting. The blankets enveloped him on top of his full stomach and, really, all he needed was Alex to cuddle up close and he would get the nap he needed after that conversation.

“What did she say to you?” Alex asked, putting his arms around him. 

“Nothing,” Michael said, “Just making sure that I brush my teeth before kissing you so you don’t pass out.”

“Shut up,” Alex laughed, moving in for a kiss. It was short and his breakfast was still on his breath, but Michael appreciated nonetheless. He followed it by burying his face in Alex’s chest. It was becoming his favorite spot. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” Michael said, “Just wanna lay here with you.”

And he did, all while thinking of the things he should’ve told Alex a long time ago.

**Author's Note:**

> also on my tumblr: spaceskam


End file.
